House Republicans left Washington largely stumped about how to go home for a monthlong recess and defend to their constituents Congress’ failure to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law.

The concerns were so great that many members during a GOP conference meeting Friday — just hours after a Senate vote on a scaled-back repeal bill failed — pleaded with leadership to keep the House in session in August.

CQ's health reporter Kerry Young and magazine deputy editor Shawn Zeller explain the consequences of the draft health care bill crafted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who can cement his legislative legacy by slashing Medicaid — a program that helps almost 70 million people who live in or near poverty or have disabilities.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan and his leadership team were able to secure enough votes for passage of their health care plan. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

BY LINDSEY MCPHERSON AND ERIN MERSHON

House Republicans breathed a sigh of relief Thursday as they finally advanced their health care overhaul out of the chamber in a narrow 217-213 vote. No Democrats voted for the measure. They were joined by 20 Republicans who voted “no” as well.

Tuesday Group Co-Chairman Charlie Dent is among the moderate Republicans unlikely to be convinced to vote for the GOP’s health care bill. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus have shouldered the majority of the blame for the Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law, but GOP moderates may be equally — if not more — responsible for the impasse.

There are arguably more hard “no” votes (members not likely to be convinced to move to “yes”) for the GOP leadership’s plan among moderate Republicans than there are among Freedom Caucus members.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., has been trying to woo undecided Republicans to support the health care bill as a do-or-die vote approaches on Friday. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The outcome of Friday’s House vote to partially repeal and replace the 2010 health care law is not certain, but one thing is: All parties to the Republican negotiations will walk away with some losses.

After a marathon few weeks of debate over the health care measure, President Donald Trump decided he was done dealing and urged the House to vote on the measure and let the chips fall where they may.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price met with the House Republican Conference on Tuesday in the Capitol, where Trump called on Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows and his group to get on board with the GOP health care bill. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The GOP health care debate has quickly become a battle of wills between the House Freedom Caucus and Republican leadership in the House and White House. And if the vote proceeds as planned on Thursday without changes to the bill, it will be a battle over reputations.

Absent a compromise between the conservative caucus and House leadership and/or the President Donald Trump and his administration, one of the two sides will emerge from Thursday’s vote significantly scathed.

CQ Roll Call’s health editor Rebecca Adams breaks down why the Republican replacement for Obamacare is being attacked on all sides. And senior editor David Hawkings talks about the political consequences of the GOP’s current predicament.

Republicans grappled Tuesday with how to advance their health care proposal following a report from the Congressional Budget Office that the plan would dramatically increase the number of uninsured Americans.

House lawmakers had more time to digest the report thanks to a winter storm that delayed their schedule. But senators trudged through the slush and snow to the Capitol, where they faced questions about the CBO report that said the GOP plan would lead to 24 million more people uninsured by 2026, and reduce the deficit by $337 billion over 10 years.